In 2024 The MONGO Offshore Challenge celebrated its fifth anniversary. Sportfishing’s most broadly distributed bluewater tournament did so in grand fashion—awarding nearly $700,000 in prizes while hosting two divisions with a total of 173 boats. After 153 days of fishing, and boats ranging from Massachusetts to Texas, the results are in.
The 2024 Gulf Division: 150 Teams Fishing for More Than $500,000
Blue Marlin: 86 Teams
Winner: Southern Charm. $182,750
Tuna: 71 Teams
Mahi: 71 Teams
Winner: Sea Spray. Combined $120,275
Swordfish: 42 Teams
Winner: Synchronicity. $66,300
Wahoo: 74 Teams
Winner: Gunnslinger. $44,225
The MONGO Offshore Challenge was born of the Gulf Coast sportfishing industry. Since its first year in 2019, it has grown to become an institution. Not only has the MONGO set participation Gulf Coast participation records—in terms of participating boats and anglers- MONGO winning fish have also set state records and cashed checks in other, non-MONGO tournaments as well. The 2024 edition was no exception.
In terms of volume of participation, the MONGO is the Gulf’s largest and most widely distributed bluewater tournament. From south Texas to Florida, the field was composed of boats representing all five Gulf states. Boats ranged from 29 feet to 80.
Captain Anthony Lopez and owner Larry Matthews won the Gulf swordfish division. The crew of the Synchronicity caught their 300-pounder on the second to last day of the MONGO. An accomplished, veteran swordfish captain, Lopez shares his perspective on the MONGO.
“Winning it means a lot. It was not only a great way to wrap up our year, but winning it had been a goal of mine since the first year of the MONGO,” Lopez says. “It’s a full circle deal to get it done. It’s also an honor to show that I learned a thing or two from my time fishing with Captain Jeff Wilson.”
The East Coast Division: The Most Broadly Distributed Bluewater Tournament in North America
In the East Coast Division, the tournament boundaries stretch from Florida all the way to Massachusetts. Like the fishable area, participating boats in the 2024 East Coast Division hail from Palm Beach, Florida in the south to Cape Cod, Massachusetts in the north.
To make this distribution possible, the MONGO partners with a network of East Coast marinas that provide a weigh station network that spans the coast. These include weigh stations in Florida (Oasis Marinas at Fernandina Harbor, Sunrise Marina in Port Canaveral, New Smyrna Marina, and Cape Marina), Georgia (Jekyll Harbor Marina), South Carolina (The Marina at Edisto Beach and Tolers Cove Marina), North Carolina (Town Creek Marina in Beaufort, Hatteras Harbor Marina, Pirate’s Cove, Bridge Tender Marina in Wrightsville Beach, EJW Outdoors in Morehead City, and Oregon Inlet Fishing Center), Virginia (Virginia Beach Fishing Center and Fisherman’s Wharf Marina), Maryland (M.R. Ducks and Sunset Marina in Ocean City), New Jersey (Hoffman’s Marina, Brielle Marina, Canyon Club, and South Jersey Marina), New York (Montauk Angler’s Club), and Massachusetts (Hyannis Marina and Falmouth Marina).
Blue Marlin: Winner Team Harvey. $106,075
Swordfish: Angler. $9,350
Bigeye: Euphoria. $8,500
Yellowfin: Scup Slayer. $5,950
Mahi: Widespread. $5,100
Perhaps the headliner of the East Coast division is Team Harvey’s 649-pound blue marlin. For winning the MONGO, Shane Guidry and his Palm Beach-based crew took home a check worth $106,075.
Guidry, whose Team Harvey hails from the Gulf, shared his perspective on what makes fishing the MONGO such a good deal. “For us, coming from the Gulf Coast, in our first year of fishing the Atlantic, winning the MONGO is a big deal. There’s a lot of great competition,” Guidry explains. “Coming from the Gulf we enjoy chasing big fish. Crews enjoy points, but we like for the public to be involved.”
“The MONGO is a great idea. It’s great competition. The Gulf Coast has really embraced it. It’s time to get the East Coast more involved to make it a high-dollar competition. We’re going to fish the MONGO next year. We’ll have two boats, one in the Gulf and one on the East Coast,” Shane says. “If you’re going to fish tournaments on the East Coast, you might as well fish the MONGO. It’s a great opportunity to win a big check and it allows more fishing.”
Captain Ricky Wheeler is the owner-operator of the Euphoria. He won the bigeye division this year. Wheeler, an industry veteran, shares a similar passion for the MONGO.
“I love this tournament. In a time where fishing tournaments are getting more and more skewed due to numerous modern advancements, the MONGO tournament format allows anyone a chance to catch a mongo for the win,” Wheeler explains. “It keeps every day of fishing even more interesting.”
Captain Jay Watson runs the WideSpread out of Oregon Inlet. He won the Mahi division with a 45-pounder. This was Watson’s fourth MONGO win. He enjoys the tournament—and with good reason.
“The MONGO also coincides with all of our East Coast tournaments. This gives us another angle for success with a lower buy-in. For fish that qualify for the MONGO and another tournament, the MONGO often pays more than the other event. That’s very appealing to my tournament clientele and my ownership as well,” Watson describes.
So if your boat plans to fish the East Coast next year, whether as a charter operation or a tournament program, why not consider fishing the MONGO. It’s fun and it pays.
A Celebration of Fishing and the Industry that Makes it Possible
Most fundamentally, the MONGO Offshore Challenge celebrates fishing. The MONGO celebrates the act of catching big fish and the fisheries that make it possible. It showcases the boats and crews whose skill and dedication provide the foundation of the activity. The MONGO is this way by design.
“As a sportfish captain, tackle salesman, yacht broker, and tournament fisherman, I’ve worked in the fishing industry for almost 25 years. It was a dream to create a tournament that helps attract professional, charter, and novice fishermen to all compete on a level playing field to see who can catch the largest fish of the season. Our in creating the MONGO was to promote fishing, celebrate the fish and reward the teams that do it each year,” explains MONGO co-founder Jeremy Cox. “With a Co-founder Team made up of my brother JD Cox, and best friend Brian Johnson– and support from the Gulf and East Coast sportfishing communities, we have done it! We hope to continue to grow it !”
The MONGO partners with many of the best companies in sportfishing industry. When doing business with these companies you can feel good in knowing that each is an expert in what it does and that each are passionate about fishing and the people who do it.
- Platinum Sponsors– Atlantic Marine Electronics and the MONGO Talk Podcast
- Gold Sponsors– Hauling Away, Galati Yacht Sales, Horizon Line Marine Enclosures, NiteTrack, Foster’s Marine, ICOM, MAQ Sonar, Zook Rods, Saunders Yachtworks, Dinnteco, Claremont Property Co., Trapp Cadillac / Chevrolet, SeaWard, and Beard Equipment Co.
- Silver Sponsors– Rouses Markets, Larry Rackley Art, Christi Insurance, Yacht Armor, Daggaboy Safaris, and BoatFi
- Bronze Sponsors– Viking Yachts, High Seas Marine Stabilizers, and Hilton’s Realtime Navigator
In addition to the cash payouts, the 2024 MONGO also awarded a $10,000 African Safari from Daggaboy Safaris to the largest blue marlin, a custom trophy from renowned marine artist Larry Rackley, MONGO trophies and other prizes. Be sure to register to fish the 2025 MONGO next year. Registration will open in early 2025.
For more information, visit MongoOffshore.com.
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